


When The Storm Hits

by JoeyAndromeda



Category: Scrubs
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-01
Updated: 2013-12-01
Packaged: 2018-01-03 04:27:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1065756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JoeyAndromeda/pseuds/JoeyAndromeda
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>All this has happened before and all this will happen again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	When The Storm Hits

**Author's Note:**

> Heavily inspired by [Appropriate Behavior by JM Huscher](http://indiefeedpp.indiefeed.libsynpro.com/jm-huscher-appropriate-behavior).

Perry finds him in the on-call room, his face buried in his hands, his shoulders shaking. He looks small and fragile and lost, and all at once Perry's protective impulse kicks into overdrive. He moves closer slowly, as if the kid is a wild animal he's trying not to scare away.

When he's close enough, he reaches out and places a hand on JD's shoulder. "Hey." The boy's body stills; he doesn't look up. "What's wrong?"

Stupid question, really. God knows the kid's got more than enough to complain about these days.

"My life is falling apart and all my friends are sick of me," he says, his voice soft and cracked. Perry sits down beside him and gently drapes an arm across his shoulders. JD still doesn't move, but he seems to relax a little at that.

"You...heard us in the cafeteria, didn't you?" Perry figures it's probably 50/50 between that and the possibility that JD pieced things together on his own.

"I was taped to the ceiling."

"Ah."

Neither of them says anything for a moment. Perry's thumb traces small circles on JD's shoulder.

Finally JD says "I guess I shouldn't be surprised. It was bound to happen sooner or later."

Perry sighs heavily. "Newbie, they're your friends. They're _supposed_ to be there for you. That's what friends _do_."

" _You_ were the one who said--"

"I know what I said." _I wouldn't have said that if I'd known you could hear me._ "Forget it, okay? There's no shame in needing people."

\---

JD hasn't spoken for most of the day, which is rare enough that Perry finds it within himself to be concerned, despite having other things on his mind. The loss of his best friend, for one thing.

JD leaves his hand on Perry's shoulder throughout most of the service. Once or twice, Perry catches him glancing, fleetingly, in his direction--wondering if he should try for more physical contact, probably. Perry still hasn't decided whether or not he wishes the kid would go for it.

They ride together to Jordan's mother's house afterwards. It's crowded there, and slightly claustrophobic, and Perry loses JD in the press of bereft family and friends. Turns out Ben had a lot of those.

Perry glances at the food, ignores it in favor of the makeshift bar, and ultimately finds JD sitting quietly and, to all appearances, uncomfortably in a folding chair in a corner of the living room. As Perry approaches, he notices that the kid's face is wet, and he is oddly touched. It's not as if JD had known Ben particularly well, but he feels his loss keenly nonetheless, or maybe it's just that he can't help mirroring the emotions of those around him.

Perry stands next to him and ruffles his hair. "How're you holding up, kid?"

JD looks up at him, perplexed. "Really? Of all the times you could choose to worry about me?"

"Temporary insanity. Humor me."

JD smiles a little through the tears. "I've been better, but I'll live."

"You wanna get out of here?"

He blinks. "Are we allowed?"

"Last I checked, we were both, at least theoretically speaking, adults. Physically if not mentally, in your case."

JD stands. "Lead the way, then. Although in my expert opinion you probably shouldn't drive."

"I'm not stupid, Janice."

"Oh, we're back on the girls' names? Somehow that actually makes me feel better."

Perry shoots a glance at Jordan as they weave through the crowd towards the door. She nods at him, as if to say _Do what you have to do; just don't tell me about it afterwards_ \--or possibly that she wants a full report later. He can generally read her pretty well but sometimes there are ambiguities.

He and JD walk a few blocks down to the park where he likes to take Jack on the weekends. It's mostly deserted today. The two of them sit down on an out-of-the-way bench and just stare silently ahead for a long minute, each lost in his own head.

"Newbie?"

"Yeah?"

"For what it's worth, I'm glad you came with me today."

JD doesn't say anything, just slides closer on the bench, almost as if drawn in by gravitational force. Perry turns a few degrees to his right, so their bodies are angled towards each other, and pulls JD into his arms. He feels tears threatening again and closes his eyes and presses his face against the kid's shoulder. JD is shaking a little. His face is damp against Perry's neck. He clings tightly, offering comfort just as much as receiving it.

That's all they do for a while, is just hold on.

\---

"We had a good run, didn't we?"

It's not at all like their first breakup. That was rough and hot and furious, just like their marriage had been, almost pleasurable in the sheer intensity of it. This time, among other differences, there aren't any legal measures to be taken. It's just a question of dividing up their stuff.

"Yeah," Perry says, realizing there was a question mark on that sentence. "We did."

"Funny." Jordan smiles, a little wistfully. "I kinda thought we'd make it this time."

"Yeah."

"Whatever. All good things, right?"

He nods, not trusting himself to speak.

She rises, holds out her fist. "See you around."

He taps her knuckles with his own. "'Bye."

Time passes; he's not sure how much.

Eventually he sighs heavily, wipes at his eyes, and reaches for the phone.

\---

"I don't understand you sometimes."

The admission comes almost out of nowhere; Perry is somewhat caught off guard. "Come again?"

"One minute you're yelling at me and the next...well, here we are."

Perry considers this briefly. "If this seems unusual to you, Newbie, you haven't been paying attention."

JD pulls away slightly to look him in the eye. "What haven't I noticed?"

"Do I really need to spell it out?"

The corner of JD's mouth quirks upward. "Maybe kind of."

"This is what we do," Perry says gently. "This is...this is what we are to each other. It's happened before and it'll happen again. Haven't you figured it out yet?"

JD's eyes flick downward. "Maybe I need to hear it."

Perry nudges JD's chin upward with one finger. "Newbie...." He lets himself get a little bit lost in the boy's eyes, just for a second. "We're family."

JD blinks, the slow sweep of his lashes displacing a tear from the rim of his eye. Perry cups his cheek and draws his thumb in a slow arc across the rounded surface, smudging moisture against skin. JD inhales shakily and exhales with just the hint of a whimper.

Perry leans in and lets his lips press against JD's forehead. It's a benediction and a declaration and a promise, all at once.

JD stares at him, mouth slightly open. Perry closes the small space between them to meet it with his own.

Someone could walk in at any second. Someone might have a few pointed questions as to what two supposedly straight male doctors are doing here, exactly.

Neither of the two supposedly straight male doctors can bring himself to care.


End file.
